Omnidirectional expansion connector



Feb. 11, 1969 I. F. M'ATTHYSSE ET L OMNIDIRECTIONAL EXPANSION CONNECTOR Sheet Filed June 21, 1967 Illll+ III I 4 r/lLlTlllll INVENTOR. ZEMATI'HYSSE, 5mm BY wosaoe/v,

Ar TORNEY.

Feb. 11., 1969 1. F. MATTHYSSE ET AL 3,427,549

OMN ID I RECTIONAL EXPANS ION CONNECTOR Filed June 21, 1967 Sheet of2 I, .10 l ,7 1 ill TI 20 1 m r 1 6'4 FE 74 I :1 l

3& F7 26' INVENTOR. .52

.17 TTORNFY.

United States Patent Oifice 3,427,549 Patented Feb. 11, 1969 3,427,549 OMNIDIRECTIONAL EXPANSION CONNECTOR Irving F. Matthysse, Danbury, Edward S. Raila, Norwalk,

William G. Osborn, Stamford, and John J. Brautigam, Darien, Conn., assignors to Burndy Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed June 21, 1967, Ser. No. 647,751 US. Cl. 339-1 Int. Cl. H01r 7/26, 39/00; H02g /08 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to an expansion connector, and more particularly, to an electrical connector capable of coupling two relatively rigid conductors while allowing a wide range of relative movement therebetween.

Such a connector is desirable for accommodating the relative movement of coupled bus bars which is caused by expansion and contraction due to usage and environmental changes.

The connector includes an inner frame which secures a conductor clamp to spaced flexible cables, the distant ends of which are secured to a corona ring. A second conductor is secured to a second corona ring which is attached to the first ring by spaced support members, with the clamp between the rings.

An object of this invention is to provide a bus bar expansion connector which is substantially free of limitations as to direction of motion.

A further object is to provide such a connector incorporating corona shielding rings.

Other objects include the provision of such a connector which is simple to maintain, easy to attach to connecting conductors, and sturdy yet relatively inexpensive in construction.

These and other objects are attained, and new results accomplished, as will be made apparent by reference to the expansion connector described in the following specification, outlined in the attached claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation view, partially sectioned, of a connector in accordance with this invention, showing two bus bars coupled through the connector;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the illustrated connector, taken in the direction 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial top plan view of the connector taken in the direction 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a partial side elevation view of the connector taken in the direction 44 of FIGURE 1.

Now, referring to the drawings in greater detail, the illustrated embodiment of this invention is shown coupling a pair of bus bar conductors 10, 12. The connector, designated generally by reference numeral 14, may be considered to comprise an outer frame assembly 16 and an inner frame assembly 18. Outer frame assembly 16, in turn, may be seen to comprise a pair of spaced apart corona shielding frames or rings 20, 22, a conductor clamp 24 coupled to conductor 12, and outer frame support bars 26 which maintain the spaced relationship of frames 20, 22. The inner frame assembly 18 comprises a conductor clamp assembly 28 coupled to conductor 10, inner frame or support member 30, and flexible coupling bars 32 which join the inner frame assembly to the outer frame assembly.

All of the connector parts described above would be formed, in practice, from conductive materials, so that a series conductive path between conductors 10 and 12 would exist through clamp 28, inner frame member 30, flexible bars 32, outer frame 22, support bars 26, outer frame 20, and clamp 24. Relative movement between condoctors 10 and 12, in any direction, is permitted by the flexible nature of coupling bars 32 which may be formed, preferably, of flexible stranded cable. If desired, outer frame assembly support bars 26 may also be made flexible to any suitable degree to further accommodate relative motion requirements. Outer frames 20, 22 form a protective corona shield about the bus bar connection to the expansion connector at clamp 28 as well as at clamp 24.

As shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, outer shielding ring 20 is formed of two half sections 34, 36 which define a hollow section to reduce the overall weight of the expansion connector. The mating edge of the half sections may be rounded, as at 38, 40 to further avoid corona discharge problems. Any suitable method may be used to secure the two half sections together; e.g. brazing, welding, bolting, force-fitted fastenings. One half-section, 34, is provided with integral web portions 42 which extend radially toward the center of the ring to form a seat portion 44 for clamp 24, and is also provided with integral apertures 41 which provide receptacles for securing support bars 26 to the ring.

Clamp 24 comprises an anchor portion 46 which mates with seat portion 44 of ring 20, and a conductor terminal portion consisting of fixed portion 48 and cover clamp portion 50 which are drawn together in well known manner by bolts 52. Anchor portion 46 is formed as a conical wedge section adapted to be forcibly seated in tapered seat portion 44. This method of anchoring the conductor clamp permits the use of a variety of different sizes and shapes of clamps with a given inner and outer frame assembly combination.

Outer shielding ring 22 may be constructed readily of two half sections 54 and 56, as in the case of ring 20. For this ring, one of the half-sections 54 is provided with integral, inwardly extending lugs 58 which terminate in apertures 60 into which the ends of flexible bars 32 may be secured in any suitable manner.

Inner frame member 30 may comprise a unitary structure, including a central clamp seat portion 62, and outwardly extending web portions 64 which terminate in apertures 66 for receiving and securing the ends of flexible bars 32 to the frame member.

As in the case of clamp 24, clamp 28 comprises a tapered conical anchor portion 68 adapted to forcibly mate with tapered clamp seat 62, a fixed conductor seat portion 70, and a conductor cove-r clamp portion 72 which is drawn to conductor seat 70 by bolts 74 in a well known manner.

By clamping conductor 12 within clamp 24 and con ductor 10 within clamp 28 an electrical connection between the two conductors is established through the series path previously described. Although each conductor is rigidly clamped to either the inner or outer frame assembly respectively, relative motion between the two is permitted, readily, by flexible coupling bars 32. Thus, a secure, conductive, but fully flexible connection between two relatively rigid conductors is established in a simple, reliable manner.

The invention has thus been described but it is desired to be understood that it is not confined to the particular form or usage shown and described; the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore may include all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the invention broadly considered, and by means of which objects of this invention are attained and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments herein show and described are only some of the many that can be employed to obtain these objects and accomplish these results.

What is claimed is:

1. An expansion connector for electrically and mechanically connecting two relatively rigid conductors with provision for relative movement therebetween, comprising:

an inner frame member having means for connecting a conductor thereto;

a plurality of flexible coupling bars mounted to said inner frame member and having portions extending therefrom;

an outer frame assembly including:

means for connecting a conductor thereto;

a first outer frame member, coupled to extending portions of said flexible coupling bars;

a second outer frame member positioned so as to locate said inner frame member between the first and second outer frame members;

a plurality of support members joining said first outer frame member to said second outer frame member.

2. An expansion connector in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first and second outer frame members have the form of corona shielding rings disposed in substantially parallel, spaced-apart relationship.

3. An expansion connector in accordance with claim 2 wherein said means for connecting a conductor to said outer frame assembly is mounted upon said second outer frame member.

4. An expansion connector in accordance with claim 3 wherein said support members joining said first outer frame member to said second outer frame member are formed of flexible material to permit resilient relative motion between those two frame members.

5. An expansion connector in accordance with claim 3 wherein said flexible coupling bars comprise lengths of flexible stranded cable extending from said first outer frame member to said inner frame member.

6. An expansion connector in accordance with claim 5 wherein said means for connecting a conductor to said outer frame assembly comprises a bolted clamp assembly.

7. The expansion connector of claim 6 wherein said means for connecting a conductor to said outer frame assembly is mounted by separable tapered-seat and mating anchor portions which are force-fitted together.

8. The expansion connector of claim 6 wherein said means for connecting a conductor to said inner frame member comprises a bolted clamp assembly.

9. The expansion connector of claim 8 wherein the respective means for coupling conductors to said inner frame member and to said second outer frame member are mounted thereto, respectively, by separable tapered seat and anchor portions formed thereon and adapted to be force-fitted together.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,997,627 4/ 1935 Casey 339-265 2,539,641 1/1951 Sheadel 174-127 X 2,775,643 12/1956 Scott 174-99 2,867,682 1/ 1959 Smith et al 174-127 X 3,212,046 10/1965 Abel et al 339-1 3,306,973 2/1967 Lowerre 174-140 RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

